HCKT Hackett Group Inc

Last year, when we first took a look at the corporate propensity to prop up fourth-quarter results at the potential expense of the following quarter's performance, recession loomed on the horizon. Today everyone from Warren Buffett to a bevy of economists to, in fact, CFOs say that the recession isn't just looming, it's here � and it's not leaving anytime soon. Given that, one might expect companies to direct their attention to activities that offer sustainable financial-performance advantages. Guess again. A subsequent look at 55 companies indicates that fourth-quarter gamesmanship remains a popular corporate pastime. The analysis, conducted by Atlanta-based research and consulting firm REL, suggests that many companies contort themselves in December in order to improve their working-capital numbers and thus post more-favorable year-end results. For instance, they discount prices to move products, put off vendor payments, or aggressively step up their collection efforts. http://www.cfo.com/article.cfm/11078618/c_11081639?f=magazine_ alsoinside Click Here to Link to Full Text of Article or visit the following URL: http://www.cfo.com/article.cfm/11078618/c_11081639?f=magazine_ alsoinside About REL REL, a division of The Hackett Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: HCKT), is a world-leading consulting firm dedicated to delivering sustainable cash flow improvement from working capital and across business operations. REL�s tailored solutions balance client trade-offs between working capital, operating costs, service performance and risk. REL�s expertise has helped clients free up billions of dollars in cash, creating the financial freedom to fund acquisitions, product development, debt reduction and share buy-back programs. In-depth process expertise, analytical rigor and collaborative client relationships enable REL to deliver an exceptional return on investment in a short timeframe. REL has delivered work in over 60 countries for Fortune 500 and global Fortune 500 companies. More information on REL is available: by phone at (770) 225-7300; by e-mail at info@relconsultancy.com; or on the Web at www.relconsultancy.com. (Long URLs in this release may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.)